World distribution of Methocha wasps

Last updated on October 25th, 2020

Distribution map of the Methochinae according to zoogeographic regions

In brackets the number of species known per region.
According to Krombein (1958, 1979, 1982), Lin (1966) and Guichard (1972).

Nearctic Region (Canada, USA, Mexico to tropics)

Methocha subg. Methocha Latreille, 1804

  • californica (Westwood, 1881) (California). Trans. ent. Soc. Lond.: 133.
  • formosa Krombein, 1954 (Florida). Trans. Amer. ent Soc. 80:2.
  • impolita Krombein, 1958 (U.S.A.). Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., 60(2): 58.
  • nigrior (Fox, 1899) (California; Washington). Trans. Amer. ent. Soc. 25:288.
  • stygia (Say, 1836) (U.S.A.; Canada). Boston Jour. Nat. Hist. 1:299.
    syn.: Mutilla (Methoca) pacalis Harris 1835 in Hitchcock, Rpt. Geol. Mineral. Bot. Zool. Mass. : 587.
    syn.: Methoca bicolor Say 1836 Boston Jour. Nat. Hist. 1:299.
    syn.: Methoca canadensis Smith 1855 Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 3:67.

Neotropical Region (tropical Mexico south to South America, Antilles)

Methocha subg. Methocha Latreille, 1804

  • constricta (Smith, 1879) (Brazil). Descr. New Spec. Hym.: 228.
  • mexicana (Saussure, 1892) (Mexico). Hist. Madag. 20(1):299.
  • nigriceps (Smith, 1879) (Brazil). Descr. new. spec. Hym.: 228.
  • poeyi (Guerin, 1845) (Cuba). Iconogr. regn. anim. 7:429.

Palearctic Region (Europe, North Africa (to Sahara), Middle East, Asia)

Methocha subg. Methocha Latreille, 1804

  • articulata (Latreille, 1792) (Palearctic). Jour. Hist. nat. 2:100.
    syn.: Methoca (!) ichneumonides Latreille, 1792 Crutis Brjt. Ent., pl. 329.
    syn.: Methoca (!) formicaria Latreille, 1805 Hist. nat. Curst. & Insect. 13:268.
    syn.: Mutilla formicaria Jurine, 1807 Nouv. meth Class. Hym. :226.
    syn.: Tengyra sanvitali Latreille, 1809 Gen. Crust & Insect. 4:116.
    syn.: Gonatopus mutillarius Nees, 1834 Hym. Ichneum. affin. monogr. 2:284.
    syn.: Gonatopus erythrocephalus Nees, 1834 Hym. Ichneum. affin monogr. 2:286.
    syn.: Gonatopus thoracicus Nees, 1834 Hym. Ichneum. affin. monogr. 2:387.
    syn.: Spinolia italica Costa, 1858 Fauna Napoli: 22 & 36.
  • articulata nigrescens Hoffer, 1938 (Moravia & Slovak Republic). Sbornik Klubu Prirodovedeckeho v Brne, 17: 25-30.
  • articulata obscura Hoffer, 1938 (Slovak Republic & Ukraina). Sbornik Klubu Prirodovedeckeho v Brne, 17: 25-30.
  • japonica (Yasumatsu, 1931) (Japan). Kontyu 5(1):12 (female); Kontyu 7(3):141 (male).
  • latronum (Guichard, 1972) (France: Corsica). The Entomologist, 104: 285. Agnoli, 2005 (Italy: Sardinia).
  • picipes (Morawitz, 1890) (Asia: Transcaspia). Horae Soc. ent. Ross. 24:632.
  • sisala Nagy, 1968 (Romania). Opuscula Zoologica, 8 (1): 81-85.
  • yasumatsui (Iwata, 1936) (Japan). Kontyu 10(2):58.

Afrotropical Region (Africa south of the Sahara, southern Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar)

Methocha subg. Andreus Ashmead, 1903

  • abottii Ashmead, 1903. Can. Entomol. 35: 156.
  • andrei (Arnold, 1944) (Cape Province). Occ. Pap. nat. Mus. S. Rhod. 2:2.
  • braunsi (Andre, 1901) (S. Africa). Zeits. Hym. Dipt. 1:281.
  • braunsi cataractae (Arnold, 1934) (S. Rhodesia). Occ. Pap. Rhod. Mus. 3 :34.
  • carinata (Arnold, 1934) (S. Rhodesia). Occ. Pap. Rhodesian Mus. 3:38.
  • fulgida (Arnold, 1944) (S. Rhodesia). Occ. Pap. nat. Mus. S. Rhod. 2(11):5.
  • haemorrhoidalis (Westwood, 1881) (S. Africa). Trans. ent. Soc. Lond.: 134.
  • incerta (Andre, 1903) (S. Africa). Zeits. Hym. Dipt. 3:81.
  • johannis (Arnold, 1944) (S Africa). Occ. Pap. nat. Mus. S. Rhod. 2(11):5.
  • minima (Andre, 1901) (S. Africa). Zeits. Hym. Dipt. 1:282.
  • morosa (Arnold, 1934) (S. Rhodesia). Occ. Pap. Rhodesian Mus. (3):37.
  • mosotuana (Arnold, 1944) (S. Rhodesia). Occ. Pap. nat. Mus. S. Rhod. 2(11):4.
  • plesioides (Turner, 1911) (Equatorial Guinea). Mitt. zool. Mus Berlin 5:389.
  • poneroides (Arnold, 1934) (Rhodesia). Occ. Pap. Rhodesian Mus. (3):36.
  • procera (Peringuey, 1901) (S. Africa: Transvaal). Ann. S. Afric. Mus 2:127.
  • rhodesiana (Arnold, 1934) (Rhodesia). Occ. Pap. Rhodesian Mus. (3):35.

Methocha subg. Methocha Latreille, 1804 OR Methocha subg. Andreus Ashmead, 1903 – ?

  • arnoldi (Krombein, 1949) (Madagascar). Proc. ent. Soc. Wash. 51:72.
  • cambouei (Saussure, 1891) (Madagascar). Hist. Madag. 20(1) : 299.
    syn.: Methoca cambonini Saussure 1891 Mitt. Schweiz. ent. Ges. 8(7) 259.
  • lambertoni (Krombein, 1949) (Madagascar). Proc. ent. Soc. Wash.. 51:73.

Oriental Region (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Borneo)

Methocha subg. Methocha Latreille, 1804

  • alutacea Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 186.
  • areolata Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 188.
  • bicolor (Cameron, 1897) (India). Mem. Manchester Soc: 41(4): 52.
    syn.: Methoca rufonigra Dutt, 1912. Mem. Dept. Agric. Ind. Ent. Ser. 4:185.
  • cavipyga Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 190.
  • clypeata (Pagden, 1934) (Malaya Peninsula). Jour. Feder. Mai. Sta. Mus. 17:454.
  • debilis (Williams, 1919) (Philippines). Rep. Exp. Sta. Hawaii. Sug. Pl. Ass. Ent. Ser. 14: 41; 19: 169.
  • emarginata Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 193.
  • fimbricornis (Williams, 1919) (Philippines). Rep. Exp. Sta. Hawaii. Sug. Pl. Ass. Ent. Ser. 14:38.
  • formosana (Williams, 1919) (Taiwan). Rep. Exp. Sta. Hawaii. Sug. Pl. Ass. Ent. Ser. 14:37.
  • foveiventris Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 195.
  • fuscipennis (Williams, 1919) (Philippines). Rep. Exp. Sta. Hawaii. Sug. Pl. Ass. Ent. Ser. 14:45.
  • gracilis (Smith, 1860) (Celebes). Proc. Linn. Soc. 5:77.
  • hamanni (nom. nov.) (W. N. Borneo) for Methoca nigra Hamann, 1960. Idea 13:36 (nec Bingham, 1896).
  • heveli Krombein, 1982 (Sri Lanka), Smiths. Contrib. Zool., 374: 91.
  • insularis (Smith, 1860) (Celebes). J. Proc. Linn. Soc. zool. 5 Suppl.: 77.
  • javanica (Hamann, 1959) (Java). Idea 12:67.
  • litoralis Krombein, 1982 (Sri Lanka), Smiths. Contrib. Zool., 374: 90.
  • maai Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 183.
  • malayana (Pagden, 1949) (Malaya). Trans R. ent. Soc. Lond. 100:195.
  • mandibularis (Smith, 1869) (China: “Shanghai”). Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. : 301.
  • monticola (Williams, 1919) (Philippines). Rep. Exp. Sta. Hawaii. Sug. Pl. Ass. Ent. Ser. 14:43.
  • nigra (Bingham, 1896) (Ceylon). Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond.: 427.
  • orientalis (Smith, 1855) (India). Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 3:66 (nec 1875).
  • penthesilea (Pagden, 1949) (Malaya). Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond., 100:196.
  • plana Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 185.
  • priorrecta Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 191.
  • punctata (Williams, 1919) (Philippines). Rep. Exp. Sta. Hawaii. Sug. Pl. Ass Ent. Ser. 14:42.
  • smithii (Magretti, 1892) (India). Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova 32:259 n. 70.
    syn.: Methoca orientalis Smith, 1875. Trans, ent. Soc. Lond.: 35 (nec 1855).
  • striatella (Williams, 1919) (Philippines). Rep. Exp. Sta. Hawaii. Sug. Pl. Ass. Ent. Ser. 14:34.
  • taoi Lin, 1966 (Taiwan). Q. J. Taiwan Mus. 19: 187.
  • thoracica (Smith, 1861) (Celebes). J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Zool. 6:50.
  • tricha Strand, 1913 (Taiwan). Ent. Mitt. 2:214.
  • violaceipennis (Cameron, 1899) (India; Malaya). Ann. Nat. Hist. 4:68.

Methocha subg. Dryinopsis Brues, 1910

  • anomala Krombein, 1982 (Sri Lanka), Smiths. Contrib. Zool., 374: 99.
  • ceylonica Krombein, 1982 (Sri Lanka), Smiths. Contrib. Zool., 374: 98.
  • kandyensis Krombein, 1982 (Sri Lanka), Smiths. Contrib. Zool., 374: 97.
  • simplicipes Brues, 1910 (British North Borneo). Jour. N. York ent. Soc. 18:17.
    syn.: Stenomethoca nigra Hamann, 1960 Idea 13: 35.
  • taprobane Krombein, 1982 (Sri Lanka), Smiths. Contrib. Zool., 374: 95.
  • ubiquita Krombein, 1982 (Sri Lanka), Smiths. Contrib. Zool., 374: 92.

Karlissa Krombein, 1979

  • rugosa (Cameron, 1897) (Ceylon). Mem. Manch. L. Ph. Soc. 41.
    Methoca [sic] rugosa Cameron, 1897:52, 53, pi. 4: fig. 11 [6: Ceylon; type in Oxford University Museum].—Bingham. 1897:54 [<5; redescription of type].
    Poecilotiphia (?) rugosa (Cameron).—Turner, 1908b: 131 [tentative generic assignment].
    Methocha rugosa Cameron.—Krombein, 1968:3 [confirmed as Methochinae].
    Karlissa rugosa (Cameron).—Krombein, 1979:431-433, figs. 1,2.

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Agnoli G.L. (2024) World distribution of Methocha wasps, in: Chrysis.net website. Interim version 27 April 2024, URL: https://www.chrysis.net/resources/methocha/world-distribution/.